People: The not-so-fat actress

Alley, who starred on Showtime's reality-comedy series "Fat Actress," has lost 50 pounds. She says she's managed the loss through dieting and exercise.

"I am the Jenny Craig evangelist!" Alley, a spokeswoman for the company, declares in the Sept. 26 issue of People magazine, now on newsstands.

By limiting calories with the diet program, the 54-year-old actress -- who had ballooned up to about 200 pounds -- has slimmed down noticeably and is 30 pounds away from her original goal.

"When I got fat, I was being stupid. It was a little bit like when I used to do drugs," says Alley, who has long been sober. "Before I stopped doing drugs, I had to spiritually get a grip and go, 'What do you want your life to be like?'"

She says the full revelation didn't come until seeing early episodes of "Fat Actress."

"I didn't realize I was that fat," the 5-foot-8 actress says. "Seriously."

Alley now plans to begin dating again. A mother of two, she divorced Parker Stevenson in 1997.

The former "Cheers" actress is interested in another sitcom but doesn't expect Showtime to bring back "Fat Actress" for a second season.

"I think (they) have great concerns about me not being fat," she says.